Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, September 3, 1994                   TAG: 9409070019
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-8   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

WKEX FINDS ROOTS IN SOUTHWESTERN VA.

After a stab at contemporary country and a lengthy and more successful experiment with old standards featuring music from the Big Band era through the early '50s, the 1,000-watt station has settled on a unique (for this area) blend of bluegrass, traditional country and southern gospel.

Station Manager Bob Smith credited former station airman Bill Lineberry with inspiring the switch to bluegrass. Lineberry left the station in July for a nonbroadcasting position.

The 14-K lineup has "Bashful Bobby" Sheppard, 6-10 a.m., Heather Massie, 10 a.m-2 p.m., and Carl Castillo, 2 p.m. to sign-off.

Sheppard used to spin bluegrass tunes with Lineberry at WFNR (710 AM), before its switch to news and talk. Some may remember Massie as an occasional actress in "The Long Way Home" historical drama in Radford.

14-K airs "Nashville Record Review" Saturday, noon-3 p.m., just before the Virginia Tech football broadcast.

Call the station at 951-9539 (WKEX).